Preparation Simplifies Software Audits - Slide 5

Installation equals Use

Accurately document what software is installed on your computers and virtual machines. Remember that installation constitutes use under the vast majority of licenses; compare the number of discovered instances with owned instances to determine basic compliance. If you are using enterprise agreements, the discovered number is your True-Up number (a process to align your EA with the number of total licenses you've added in the previous 12 months). Many organizations forget that software installed on a VM or an inactive computer may still be consuming a license (depending on your specific license terms and conditions). If you track the entitlement in addition to the discovery, you will never be caught by surprise, and you can manage accordingly.

Software audits are a fact of life for the modern enterprise. While nothing can stop a vendor from auditing, IT managers should prepare for the possibility of an audit by shifting from a defensive to a negotiating posture.

While some audits are random, the majority are triggered by a credible report of violation. In such instances, auditors often begin the audit process with a bad taste in their mouth, as they are already suspicious of the licensee’s reporting practices.

There are only two reasons businesses fear an audit:

They are in violation and they know it.

They are unsure if they have committed a violation or not.

If a company is in violation and knows it, there is nothing to be done except to brace for the consequences and prepare to write a potentially sizable check. However, if you are unsure whether you have violated software license agreements, several steps involving research, program setup and simple discipline can help ensure data is fresh and accurate.

Click through to find out how to be fully prepared should a software vendor initiate an audit. And be sure to read this guest opinion from LANDesk’s Scott Parkin, which outlines in detail the steps that must be taken. As Parkin writes, “If you proactively implement and maintain these basic processes, you will be able to drive software purchases and maintenance agreements based on justifiable fact, not supposition--and you will have the key facts at hand needed to demonstrate compliance to an auditor.”

Here are the top 10 strategic technology trends that will impact most organizations in 2017. Strategic technology trends are defined as those with substantial disruptive potential or those reaching the tipping point over the next five years. ... More >>